The tournaments are well-frequented and this is the second-most spectacular location I’ve ever played in after Wembley Stadium.

PL: Adjarabet invited you to come here. Will there be any contract or sponsorship?

PE: They’ve been treating me very well, and they are big in the Georgian market, but there isn’t any plan for a long-term cooperation.

PL: Don’t you miss poker?

PE: When I started out 10 years ago, I thought I’d do this every day for the rest of my life. When I heard people say they wanted to make enough money to be independent and then quit, I couldn’t understand it.

"I was just born at the right time."

PL: But then you did exactly that.

PE: I did exactly that. Around 2010 I realized that I had accomplished everything I wanted. I reached a pinnacle.

I grew tired of how my mood depended so much on how I fared at the tables. The wisest thing would probably have been to keep playing without risking my own money.

I was an addict, a degenerate gambler, but at some point I just got fed up. I love playing here in Georgia as long as I’m here but I’m not going to play more when I return.

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